The Marauders' First Year at Hogwarts
by Emijier
Summary: Before Peter's betrayal. Before Sirius's unfair imprisonment. Before James's death. Before Remus's long period of loneliness. Before the Order of the Phoenix. The story of how four different boys became friends and Marauders. MWPP era by Clara.
1. The Train Ride to Hogwarts

_A/N: Hey, this is Clara! I'm not getting many reviews for my Clique story, and I like Harry Potter too (just not as much as my OBSESSED, totally weird oldest sister _**Hey! I resent that! **_I'm sure you do…) Anyway, Kim (or Morsmordre, her pen name) has a Marauders Era first year story up on her favorites (Well, I didn't put it there, and Justine doesn't even really like Harry Potter that much, so I'm assuming Kim put it there) so I decided to write a story too. So what if I'm only 12? Don't look at me like that!!! _

* * *

**Chapter One – The Train Ride to Hogwarts**

* * *

James Potter and his parents, Grace and Andrew Potter, were standing just outside of Platform 9 and ¾ (nine and three-quarters), all sporting identical grins on their faces. (Well, Mrs. Potter was smiling, not grinning, but I think you catch my drift). 

"All right, son, this is your big day," Mr. Potter declared, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. _(A/N: See? Just because I'm twelve doesn't mean I suck at writing. Take _that_, Lena!)_ "The day you start Hogwarts is—"

"Dad," eleven-year-old James interrupted with a whine. "I've already heard this speech before a million times."

Mr. Potter chuckled. "All right, James. Do you need any help getting in?"

James shook his head. "I already know how to do it. I'm eleven now, remember?"

"Yes we do, honey," Mrs. Potter said tearfully, dabbing at her eyes with a lace handkerchief. "You're so grown up!"

James rolled his eyes but he hugged his parents good-bye. "I'll send you letters," he promised.

"I'll send you Howlers if you don't behave," Mrs. Potter threatened, returning the hug.

"Remember to have fun, son," Mr. Potter added. He grinned and watched his son go through the barrier.

When James got through, he looked around, dragging his trunk. He would have to put it somewhere—but where?

"Need help?" a tall girl with long reddish-brown hair asked him. She looked like she was at least 14 or 15, maybe even older. "Here, I'll help you." She lifted his trunk and placed it into the train.

"Thanks," James panted, still out of breath. Then he hurried into the train. Now he had to find a seat…

James was early, so there were a few empty compartments. He slid into one near the end of the train and sighed. He had found a seat.

Just then the door opened and two boys came in. One was tall and thin, with light brown hair. The other boy was short and plump, with watery blue eyes. "Could we sit here?" the boy with the light brown hair asked.

James nodded and motioned to a seat next to him. "I'm James Potter."

"I'm Remus Lupin." The boy with the light brown hair introduced himself, sitting down.

"P-P-Peter P-Pettigrew," the other boy stammered.

James smiled slightly, but none of the other boys spoke again. Remus pulled out a book and began to read it, while Peter stared out the window, occasionally sneaking a glance at James and then quickly turning away.

It would be a long ride…

* * *

Lily Evans was, needless to say, shocked when she found herself simply tumbling through the solid-looking barrier. Even more so when she noticed all the people talking loudly, saying unfamiliar words like "Transfiguration" and "Quidditch." 

Also, there were plenty of people with owls. No one seemed to find it amazing at all.

Lily looked around, lost and confused. She saw a boy with messy black hair and glasses being helped by an older girl with long auburn hair, so she headed in that direction.

"Do you need help, too?" The older girl asked her kindly.

Lily nodded, for her throat didn't seem to be working.

The girl smiled at her and picked up her trunk and loaded it onto the train. "I'm afraid you're going to have to carry it around with you," she said sympathetically.

"That's OK," Lily choked out, and coughed a few times. "Thanks."

"I'm Molly Prewett, by the way, and I'm a prefect. If you need help, ask me or one of the other prefects."

"Thanks," Lily repeated, and jumped onto the train, while wondering what the heck a prefect was.

As she walked down the corridors of the train, looking into the compartments and hoping to find a seat, while pushing her trunk, Lily couldn't help feeling small and lonely. There were several other people she saw who looked just as lost and frightened as she did, but Lily didn't push it and ask to sit with them. A tall boy with pale-blonde hair sneered at her and whispered something to a black-haired girl sitting next to him, who snickered, and they both looked pointedly at her. Lily felt her face flush as she hurried on.

Just then Lily passed a compartment with a bunch of friendly-looking girls her age. Lily crossed her fingers and went in.

"Can I sit here?" she mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Of course you can," replied a girl with long, straight, dark-brown hair. "Who are you, by the way?" she added, not in a mean way.

"I'm Lily Evans." Lily pushed her trunk under a seat and sat down.

"Lily Evans. That's a pretty name," said a girl with a round face and straw-colored braids.

"Thanks. What's your name?" Lily felt relieved.

"Alice Eaton." Alice smiled, showing off two rows of pearly white teeth.

"Nice to meet you." Lily felt more relaxed now.

"I'm Anastasia. _Just _Anastasia. I don't have a last name, but you can call me Anna."

"You don't have a last name?" Lily questioned. Were some witches (and wizards) different?

"She does, but she won't tell us what it is," explained the last girl, the one who had yet to speak (but now did). She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles. "I'm Maggie Jules."

"So are you pureblood or half-blood or Muggleborn?" Anna asked.

"What's that?" Lily felt slightly lost.

"Oh, you must be Muggleborn," Alice said. "Muggleborn people are people who have all-Muggle families—that means you're the only one in your family who can do magic."

"Yes, I'm Muggleborn," Lily answered. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not! You'll catch up soon enough," Alice reassured her. "I'm pureblood. That means all your family is magic. Some pureblood families think they're all better than other people who aren't pureblood, but that's not true. The Eatons, Longbottoms, Potters, Prewetts, and Weasleys don't care if you're pureblood or not."

"Oh." Lily's head was spinning.

"Then some families are only in Slytherin, but—"

"What's Slytherin?" Lily interrupted.

"Oh. There are four houses of Hogwarts…" And Alice launched into a long explanation about the houses of Hogwarts that I'm not going to put in.

After a few minutes, just as Lily was beginning to retain the information, the train began to move.

"We're going!" Anna squealed happily, clapping her hands.

Lily felt a thrill of excitement and exhilaration. She was going to learn to become a witch!

After Anna calmed down, Lily finally understood what Alice was trying to say. "So basically, some families who are… erm, pureblood, think they're better than the halfbloods and Muggleborns. And then some families who are pureblood but don't care are considered… blood traitors?"

Maggie and Alice both smiled encouragingly. "Yup!" Alice declared.

"And then there are four houses at Hogwarts, called Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and… Gryffindor?"

"Correct!"

Maggie and Anna cracked up for no apparent reason.

"And then most pureblood people who don't like halfbloods and Muggleborns are in Slytherin!"

Alice applauded. "You've got it!"

Lily smiled. _I do, don't I? I think I've already made some friends…_

* * *

Sirius Black had finally managed to escape from his so-called family. Instead of hugging him or wishing him luck at Hogwarts like most mothers did, Walburga Black had yelled after her son as he ran away from the mad clutches of the pureblood maniacs, "You'd better make Slytherin!" 

Needless to say, her loud voice attracted a lot of attention and caused many people to look at him with dislike. After all, that woman had the Black family crest on her robes, so surely he was a Black too. And all Blacks were dark magic loving, Muggle hating pureblooded evil Slytherin gits.

As Sirius pushed his trunk onto the train with most difficulty, he was basically snatched up (just not literally) by his cousin Bellatrix Black.

"Aunt Walburga told me to look after you," Bellatrix, who was a fourth-year, snapped at him. "She doesn't want you to turn out like that blood traitor Andromeda." Bellatrix spat the word _Andromeda _as if it were poisoned.

Andromeda Black, the only cousin Sirius actually liked, was in Ravenclaw and was currently dating a Muggleborn, Ted Tonks. Because of this, everyone thought her a blood traitor.

"I don't need to be looked after," Sirius retorted, wrenching free of his cousin's grasp. "I can look after myself."

"Sure you can," Bellatrix sneered.

"I _can_."

Bellatrix ignored Sirius's protests and pulled him toward a compartment that was—no doubt—filled with other evil pureblooded Slytherin gits. "Narcissa already knows who she can associate with," she lectured him. "As heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, you should learn this lesson too!"

Bellatrix practically pushed him into a compartment full of people with Slytherin crests on their robes.

"This is my cousin, Sirius, heir to the Black ancestral home," Bellatrix announced, before sweeping into a seat and starting to chat (no wait, talk… Blacks don't _chat_) with the Lestrange brothers.

No one really paid attention to him, seeing as he was only a first year. Even if Sirius was heir to the Black home, he was a _first year_, and Slytherins didn't talk to first years.

Sirius saw his chance. He quickly picked up his trunk and darted out of the compartment. Even Bellatrix didn't notice.

The train was going to leave the station soon, and Sirius had to find a seat. He pulled the Black crest off his robes and tossed it on the floor. He didn't need that old thing, anyway.

Sirius passed a compartment full of girls, and another compartment with a bunch of snooty-looking Hufflepuff fifth years. A second year Ravenclaw sneered at the "ickle firsty" and raised his wand to jinx him but backed off, looking apologetic when he noticed the Black family crest Sirius had just chucked away. At least there were _some _good things about being a Black…

Sirius finally got to the end of the train, where there were three other boys in the compartment. One was slouched down in his chair, looking ultimately bored, another boy was reading a book, and the last one looked up at Sirius almost fearfully.

"Can I sit here?" Sirius asked.

"Yes!" The boy with the jet-black hair and hazel eyes jumped up, looking ecstatic. He was the one who had looked bored. "I'm so bored here! What do you want to do?"

Sirius blinked, surprised, but quickly dropped his trunk and sat down as the train lurched forward.

"Uh… I don't know. What do you want to do? Are you all first-years?"

"I am." The boy shrugged. "Oy, you lot!" The other two boys looked at them. "Are you all first years?"

The other two boys both nodded before returning to their respectable individual activities.

"I'm James Potter." James held out his hand and grinned.

Wonderful. A Potter. Just whom he needed to make friends with to get on his family's good side.

_But you don't care, do you, Sirius Black? _A little voice taunted him in the back of his head. _So stop acting like all your bigoted bigheaded prats of a family!_

"Sirius," Sirius introduced himself. He had to get on James's good side first, or else James would simply kick him out of the compartment. And that was _not_ an option.

"Just Sirius?" James raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Just Sirius."

* * *

A/N: OK, that's the end of the first chappie! How did you like it??? Please read and review or I won't update the story! 


	2. The Sorting Ceremony

_A/N: Thanks to my reviewers. :) Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

_

** Chapter Two – The Sorting**

* * *

As James and Sirius chatted about Quidditch and pranking, already becoming friends, Remus Lupin watched them with a wistful look on his face. He was, needless to say, shocked when he received his Hogwarts letter—who would let a werewolf in the school?

Apparently, Dumbledore would.

Full moon had been a week ago, and Remus was fine now. He had asked to sit with a Potter boy (it was very hard because he knew they wouldn't become friends) and then lost his courage and began to read one of his textbooks.

Peter Pettigrew, the small, mousy boy who had followed him into the compartment was more forthcoming about his staring at the two boys. Sirius—whatever his last name was—and James Potter were already becoming fast friends.

"Hey, do you like pranks too?" James asked Peter, smiling.

"Y-Yes," Peter squeaked.

Remus hid a snort of laughter. Peter would no doubt be placed in Hufflepuff.

Remus stared down at his book, wondering where he would go. His mother was in Ravenclaw, and his father had been in Gryffindor. He knew that he wouldn't mind if he got Ravenclaw, but he really wanted to be Sorted into Gryffindor.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" James asked. Then he added, "That goes for you too… What's your name again?"

Remus bit his lip. "Remus Lupin."

"Yeah, what house do you think you'll be in, Remy?" James finished.

"It's Remus," Remus mumbled.

"Right. Well, I'll be in Gryffindor, definitely. That's where all Potters go!" James looked proud.

Being a werewolf right after the full moon (just not _immediately _after the full moon), Remus could detect that the other black-haired boy—Sirius—was suddenly nervous. Why, Remus had no clue.

"I don't know," Sirius mumbled. "I'd _like_ to get put in Gryffindor, but…" he trailed off, his eyes darkening slightly.

James seemed to notice and didn't press the matter. "What about you, Peter?"

"Gryffindor!" Peter exclaimed.

"Gryffindor, but I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw either," Remus added.

"Yeah, you love books." Sirius grinned at him.

Just then the compartment to the door opened and a redheaded girl came in. She was thin, with startling bright green eyes, and a few freckles splattered across her upturned nose.

"Anna told me to tell the people down the train that we're almost there, so you'd better get changed," she informed the four boys.

"Hey," James greeted her, smiling. "I'm James Potter. What's your name?"

Lily looked at them for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "Lily Evans. It's nice to meet you."

"Are you a first year?" Sirius asked.

"Yes I am. Are you?"

"We all are," Sirius replied. "I'm Sirius, by the way. _Just_ Sirius."

Lily smiled. "That's what one of my new friends said. She said Anastasia, or Anna, but no last name."

"Anastasia Berkley?" Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Oh… if you're all going to be sorted in Gryffindor, it's no wonder she didn't tell you lot."

"A Berkley? Aren't they supposed to be a Slytherin lot?" James asked. "Oh… well, if she's talking to you people then she must be decent."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat, something that did not go unnoticed by Remus.

"Oh. I'll ask her." Lily smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you." She turned and left the compartment.

"A Berkley talking to non-purebloods, what a surprise," James muttered.

The Berkley family were all purebloods who were rather "neutral" and didn't make fun of others for being Muggleborn, but they were all sorted into Slytherin and a rather snooty lot. The Blacks were much worse. What would his new friends (or friend) think when they (or he) found out he was a Black, Sirius didn't want to know.

"We'd better get changed," Remus interjected, breaking up Sirius's thoughts.

* * *

Lily walked back to her compartment, thinking about what the tall boy with the long black hair had said. Anna was a Berkley. Lily had retained so much information today that she didn't remember all of it, but she distinctly remembered Alice saying that Berkleys were all Slytherins, and Slytherins were supposed to be evil—or at least mean.

Lily headed back into her compartment and slid into the seat, already wearing her new robes. "I told the boys at the end of the train," she told her new friends.

"Ooh, boys! Were they cute?" Anna asked.

Just then a voice sounded through the train. "We will be at Hogwarts in about five minutes. Please leave all your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

Lily acknowledged the announcement and then answered Anna's question, frowning slightly. "We're only eleven," she reminded her new friend.

Anna shrugged. "It doesn't matter, it's fun to think about—what were their names?"

"Well, there were four boys, but I only got the names of two of them—well, one of them wouldn't tell me his last name, either," Lily mused.

"Who were they?" Maggie asked eagerly.

"Well, one of them was James Potter."

"A Potter," Alice muttered. Then, out loud, "And the other?"

"He would only tell me his first name: it was Sirius," Lily finished.

"Sirius? He's a Black!" Anna exclaimed. "What was a Black doing hanging out with a Potter?"

"A Black?" Maggie frowned a little, but Alice interrupted. "How did you know he's a Black?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"Well, I mean, Sirius is a rather unusual name, isn't it?" Anna began, but Lily cut in.

"Just like you knew he was a Black, he said you were a Berkley."

Anna's face fell. "Damn."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Maggie wondered out loud.

"Well…"

"Did you honestly think we were going to judge you?"

"Well… kinda…"

"I don't care you're a Berkley," Alice interrupted firmly. "You're my friend, and that's good enough for me."

"Thanks!" Anna's face lit up. "Oh, and by the way, you'll want to look out for my twin sister, Alexandra."

"You have a twin sister?" This time it was Lily who spoke up.

"Oh yeah. She's a real beeyotch."

"Anna!" Lily scolded, although she was smiling.

"What?" Anna smiled innocently.

Just then the train began slowing down. Maggie began jumping up and down in excitement.

"We're here!" she squealed.

* * *

Once the four boys got off the train with all their things (except their luggage), James jumped up and down like a man possessed. "We're at Hogwarts!" he shouted.

Being awfully tall (and loud) for his age, James attracted quite a lot of attention.

"I know, I know—do you have to be any louder about it?" Sirius grumbled, hiding a smile.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" James turned his head to see a very tall, dark-haired man with a beard, who was waving frantically. A lot of first years scurried over to where he loomed over the crowd.

"Let's go!" James declared, practically bounding over. Sirius followed, while Peter struggled to catch up with them and Remus walked at a rather slow, resigned pace toward the man.

"My dad told me about him," James whispered to Sirius. "He's Hagrid, and he's now the gamekeeper at Hogwarts."

Sirius was about to voice his father's opinion on the "filthy half-breed" when he remembered that James didn't know he was a Black (yet), so he kept his mouth firmly shut.

James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily (who Sirius could see from a distance) all followed him toward the edge of the lake. When Hagrid called, "Four to a boat!", James and Sirius rushed to the boats and jumped into one at the side. The wooden boat rocked dangerously.

A short, thin girl with auburn hair and a brown-haired boy followed into the same boat. "Hi!" the girl greeted them brightly. "I'm Kiki White."

"And I'm Benjy Fenwick," the boy introduced himself. "My full name is Benjamin, though."

"I'm James Potter, and this kid here is Sirius, and he lacks a last name," James replied.

Benjy smiled slightly.

Suddenly, the boats began to move. James let out a loud whoop, and a girl with dark brown hair who was sitting in a boat nearby with three other girls giggled.

Sirius felt a thrill of exhilaration. He was going to Hogwarts!

* * *

Once the boats reached a sort of underground harbor and everyone clambered out, Hagrid walked up toward the stone steps to Hogwarts castle.

Sirius had heard plenty of stories about Hogwarts, but he was still amazed when he looked up at the castle. In his amazement, he didn't notice a thin, pallid, greasy-haired boy until he had bumped into him. (_Three guesses to who he is! But I bet you all know, right?)_

"Watch where you're going!" the boy snarled at him.

Sirius scowled back. "Sorry," he apologized, in a very insincere tone of voice.

The boy sneered at him again before snapping, "Severus Snape."

It took Sirius a moment to realize that that was his name. "Sirius."

The boy gave him a final look before disappearing in the throng of people.

Just then, James sidled up to Sirius. But before he could say anything, the doors to Hogwarts had opened and there stood a very tall, strict-looking teacher with her hair pulled back into a bun.

"Follow me," she ordered crisply, before turning on her heel and marching back into the castle. Hagrid and the group of first-years followed.

Sirius could tell right away that this was a teacher not to be messed with.

As he and the other first-years hurried up the steps and into the castle, Sirius spotted the greasy-haired boy again. He was conversing with Sirius's cousin, Narcissa Black.

_Slytherin_, Sirius thought immediately. _He's going to be a Slytherin if I ever saw one. _

"My name is Professor McGonagall," the teacher announced. "I am the Head of Gryffindor House." Sirius could tell this was going to be a long, boring speech about Hogwarts and tuned her out. He already knew about the houses, anyway.

Professor McGonagall swept away after she finished speaking, her emerald-green robes swirling around her. _If she's Head of Gryffindor, why is she wearing Slytherin colors? _He asked himself rhetorically.

A loud gasp issued from most of the group of first-years jolted Sirius out of his thoughts. Sirius looked up to see a group of pearly-white ghosts who had just floated through a wall. They appeared to be arguing about something or other.

"I don't think he should be given another chance—heaven knows how annoying he is," said a tall lady ghost with her hair tied in a bun. She looked a bit like McGonagall.

"Quite," agreed another ghost.

"Hello!" exclaimed yet another ghost, this one who looked quite jolly. "First years, I suppose?"

"Yeah!" James yelled. A few people chuckled.

"Hope to see you in Ravenclaw!" cried a ghost who wore glasses and a long, floor-length (at least, it would've been floor-length if she was alive) dress. "My old school house!"

Just then McGonagall appeared again. She paid no attention to the ghosts huddled in the corner and instead, addressed the new students in a sharp voice that made more than several people cringe.

"Move along now, the Sorting's about to start," she ordered. "Form a line and follow me."

The first-years obeyed willingly.

When McGonagall led them into the Great Hall, it was hard not to gasp along with the other students. There were thousands of candles floating in midair, lighting up the whole place, mainly over four long tables that Sirius recognized as the tables of the four Hogwarts houses. Each table was glittering with golden plates and goblets. _(Yes, I got this description from the book, but I can't think of anything better, OK? I'm not good at twisting sentences around, especially when it's already a very good, descriptive sentence.) _At the top of the hall was another table, this one with teachers sitting at it.

Professor McGonagall took a stool and placed it in the center of the hall. Upon the stool she put a frayed old hat. After a few moments, the brim of the hat twitched a bit and opened—and the hat began to sing.

_(Okay, if you think I'm going to make up a song, you need to get checked in at the mental ward in St. Mungo's.) _

The hall burst into applause after that hat finished its song. After all the clapping died down, McGonagall stepped up again, this time holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will go to the stool and try on the hat to be Sorted," McGonagall said. "Aab, Snighda!"

A petite raven-haired girl scurried up to the stool and tried on the hat. After a minute, the hat yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" and the girl scurried off to the Hufflepuff table, which had burst into applause.

Sirius tuned the calling and clapping out for a moment until James nudged him in the ribs. "Look, there's a Berkley," he hissed.

The blonde sneered in the general direction of the Hufflepuffs before trying on the hat. The girl suddenly seemed frantic and appeared to be arguing with the hat. Finally, the hat yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!" 

The dark brown haired girl who was standing nearby looked surprised. "Funny Alex would get Ravenclaw, I thought she was Slytherin through and through," she muttered over the scattered clapping of the Ravenclaws.

Sirius recognized her as Anastasia Berkley, now that he saw her up close. The Berkleys were always invited to pureblood parties the Blacks had.

"Berkley, Anastasia!"

The girl smiled and hurried up to the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a stunned silence, and then the Gryffindor table exploded with applause.

"Black, Narcissa!"

"Hi, Cissy," Sirius mumbled.

"What did you say?" James asked.

"Nothing."

"There's no doubt where she'll go."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"I knew it."

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius didn't look at James's face as he walked up to the hat and shoved it on his head.

* * *

It would have been an understatement to say that James was shocked when his new last-nameless friend had walked up to the stool when the Head of Gryffindor House, McGonagall, had read his name. The only thing James could think was _Sirius, a Black? But all Blacks are supposed to be evil Slytherin gits! Sirius seemed so nice!_

Benjy, who was standing nearby with his hands shoved in his pockets, noticed the expression on James's face. "It doesn't matter if he's a Black," he said patiently to James. "It doesn't matter; it's the person inside who counts."

James gaped at him. "You're only a first year, like me!" he sputtered. "First years aren't supposed to act all wise!"

Benjy just chuckled.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James looked up to see if he had missed Sirius's sorting, but it was Sirius who climbed off the stool and avoided the death glares of the Slytherins. He (Sirius, that is) glanced almost fearfully at James, who grinned back and gave him a thumbs-up. Sirius smiled, relieved, and walked over to the shocked Gryffindor table to sit down.

"See?" Benjy asked rhetorically.

* * *

Sirius was very relieved when the hat finally decided on Gryffindor, and even more so when it appeared James didn't hate him, or at least he wasn't angry that Sirius hadn't told him about his Black status.

When Sirius sat down at the Gryffindor table, most of its occupants looked at him, stunned.

"Hi," Sirius greeted them, as brightly as he could.

Suddenly a friendly-looking boy who looked as if he were in second or third year spoke up. "Aren't your family all a Slytherin lot?" he asked (quietly because the Sorting had started again).

"Yeah…" Sirius didn't see where this was going.

"Aren't they going to be mad that you were put in Gryffindor?"

Sirius snuck another glance at the Slytherin table, where Bellatrix was glaring daggers at him.

"Of course they will. They'll be furious!"

A few people chuckled at Sirius's delighted tone of voice and a tall girl with auburn hair smirked at him.

"Anyone who makes the Slytherins furious is OK with us!" she chirped.

The Berkley girl—Anastasia—smiled at Sirius. "We're both Slytherin family outcasts," she commented conversationally.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Ooh, look! Alice is being Sorted!" she squealed.

Sirius turned to look as a short girl with straw-colored hair sat on the stool, the Sorting Hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table clapped enthusiastically as Alice pulled the hat off her head and raced in the direction of the Gryffindor table. "Hi!" she said breathlessly, slipping into the seat next to Anastasia.

"Estelle, Mimi!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Estelle, Rena!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"What is up with people of the same family getting put into separate houses today?" the friendly-looking boy sitting nearby who had first spoken to Sirius mused.

"Evans, Lily!"

The redhead from the train tried on the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"What?" Sirius asked the boy who had spoken, over all the clapping and cheering.

"I mean, you're a Black, and that other girl was a Black. And you were put in Gryffindor; she was put in Slytherin. Those two Berkley girls: one was a Gryffindor, and one was a Ravenclaw. Now those other two girls—Estelle, I think—are in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."

"Fenwick, Benjamin!"

The boy from the boat hurried up to the stool and put on the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius clapped along with the others as Benjy sat down at the Gryffindor table. After a while, he began to tune out the Sorting, until he finally looked up when there was another Gryffindor—a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes names "Jules, Maggie."

Sirius looked on, bored, until the bookworm boy from their train compartment on the ride to Hogwarts stumbled up to the stool.

It took the hat almost a minute to decide, before finally shouting out "GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus, or whatever his name was, sat down at the Gryffindor table, on the far end, and smiled politely at everyone else before turning to watch the rest of the Sorting.

Sirius was beginning to become very bored now. He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently and decided to see what James was doing.

James had a pale but determined expression on his face. He was staring intently at the hat, as if that would make him a Gryffindor immediately.

Finally, Professor McGonagall called, "Pettigrew, Peter!"

Peter, from the train, scurried up to the stool. It took the hat almost three minutes to decide before shouting out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

_Gryffindor?? He seemed really scared, like a Hufflepuff—he's a _Gryffindor_??_

"Potter, James!"

It didn't take the hat long to decide.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James slid into the seat next to Sirius and grinned. "We're all in Gryffindor!" Then he turned to Sirius. "You never told me you were a Black!"

"Well…" Sirius sighed.

"That's OK," James cut him off. "But what did you say to the hat to convince it to put you in Gryffindor? I mean, the Blacks have been in Slytherin for—what was it? Thirteen generations?"

"Twelve," Sirius corrected, a broad grin spreading over his face. "Andromeda and I mucked up this generation, didn't we?"

James and a few people nearby who were listening to the two boys' conversation laughed appreciatively.

James turned back to the Sorting.

"Snape, Severus!"

"Hey! I bumped into that kid after we got out of the boats. His name's Snivellus, or something like that." Never mind the fact that Sirius had just heard said boy's name being read out by McGonagall.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Git," James and Sirius both muttered at the exact same time.

The Sorting continued. Finally, after "White, Kiki" ("GRYFFINDOR!") was Sorted, McGonagall rolled up the long piece of parchment and took the Sorting hat and the stool away.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore called, rising to make his speech. "To those of you who are new, welcome!" Etc, etc, etc… Sirius tuned him out and focused on his plate, hoping the food would appear. He was getting hungry.

"…but now is not the time for speeches. Tuck in!"

"Finally!" Sirius exclaimed; he wasn't the only one. A few people chuckled at Sirius and James's outburst.

James grabbed a drumstick and grinned at the friendly-looking boy that Sirius had been talking to. "I'm James Potter, but I'm sure you already know that. What's your name?"

The boy grinned back. "I'm Frank Longbottom. Nice to meet you!"

"And I'm Sirius Black, but I highly doubt anyone here doesn't know that already," Sirius concluded.

Frank chuckled. "Too true."

Sirius took a sip of pumpkin juice. "So… what are the teachers like here? Any teachers we should be scared of?"

Frank shrugged. "McGonagall's head of Gryffindor House. She can be nice, but she's really strict—obey her at all costs."

Sirius grinned. "Anyone else?"

Frank thought a moment. "Not… really," he replied hesitantly. "Slughorn's Head of Slytherin, but he's not a prejudiced git. He just favors some students." Seeing the look on James and Sirius's faces, he added quickly, "Some are Slytherins, some are Hufflepuffs, some are Ravenclaws, and some are Gryffindors. He mostly likes some people if they're related to someone famous or are really… smart or something. He has these parties for people he favors."

"I don't like him," Sirius decided, helping himself to a buttered roll.

Frank chuckled. "I don't really, either. He has a bunch of bigoted prejudices, like against werewolves. I think that's rather stupid—they can't help who they are."

No one noticed Remus staring at Frank avidly, a shocked look on his face.

* * *

"Mr. Lupin?"

Remus, who had been reflecting on what Frank Longbottom had said, looked up, startled, when the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall, called his name.

"Oh… yes? I… I mean, sorry…" he stammered.

Professor McGonagall smiled kindly at him. It was the first time he had seen her smile, and it made her seem less intimidating. "The Headmaster would like to speak to you."

"Is it about… about my…"

"Yes, it is."

Remus nodded and got up to follow the teacher to the headmaster's office.

* * *

"The Gryffindor common room password is Sinkerball. Remember that now," a prefect told the group of Gryffindors lined up in front of a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink dress.

The portrait smiled at the prefect and swung open. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

After dinner, Dumbledore had gone over some of the rules and then let the new fifth-year prefects lead the first-years to their common rooms. Apparently, this was the Gryffindor common room.

It was a very nice place, Sirius decided. There were chairs and couches and a rug, and a fireplace crackling with… what else?… a warm fire. Sirius was now very glad he hadn't been placed in Slytherin… the Slytherin common room would probably look very dark and foreboding.

Sirius headed up the staircase to the boys' dormitories with James, Benjy, and Peter (Remus was missing). He was now very tired and ready for a good night's sleep.

"Here we are," James announced, heading into the room marked _First-Years_. He swung open the door to reveal five beds in a small but cozy-looking room.

"Hey, our trunks are here!" Peter exclaimed.

"Way to state the obvious," Benjy remarked (not in a mean way).

The four boys found their trunks and changed clothing before going to sleep.

* * *

_A/N: I think the ending was rather lame and rushed, but I left it there like that. Please review! Plus, I didn't check it over before posting, so I don't know if there are any spelling or grammatical errors. If there are, please forgive me, but it's late and I'm in a rush, since I want to get this chapter out now. _


	3. Classes and a Howler

_A/N: Yay! Reviews! _

_Ahem._

_I'm sorry about the long wait (for those of you who like this story), but here's (finally) the third chapter! Sirius gets a Howler and classes start…_

_Plus, blame my older sister (not Kim, I meant Justine) for the long wait. She keeps on sitting in front of the computer that we share, IM'ing her friends. She shares this account with us, but has she ever written a story? No! Damn her!_

_Kim has her own laptop, because she's the oldest. She has no idea how lucky she is…_

_On another note, my older sister, Kim, has written a fic called "Returning to Life," where James returns to life (haha). She has used Anastasia and Alexandra Berkley in her story as characters, and I have to admit, they (or at least Anna) are portrayed rather well—just as I imagined them to be—in the flashback scene she has in her sixth chapter… Go check it out!_

* * *

**Chapter Three – Classes and a Howler**

* * *

When Sirius awoke, he realized that he was the only one. He could hear snoring from one side of his bed—where Peter was—and when he turned to his right, he saw that the curtains around James's bed were slightly open, and James himself was facedown on his pillow, but also obviously asleep. 

Sirius got up to take a shower and change clothes. Twenty minutes later, he left the dormitory and went down the stairs to leave the common room and go down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Remus was awake, and was sitting up in bed.

"Oh… hey, Remus," Sirius greeted him.

Remus nearly jumped about five feet in the air (_Yes, that was an exaggeration, people_) and whirled around to face Sirius. "Oh… hi," he choked out.

Sirius frowned, wondering why Remus was so jumpy, but decided not to ask.

"Where were you yesterday, anyway?" Sirius wanted to know.

"What do you mean?"

Sirius briefly wondered why Remus was so nervous about discussing this subject. His face was a rather white shade of… well, white. "You weren't with the rest of the Gryffindor first-years when we came here."

"Oh." Remus fidgeted with the blanket. "Professor McGonagall had to see me about… my course schedule."

Sirius could tell Remus was lying, but since they weren't best friends or anything, he decided not to press the subject. "OK then. I'm going down to breakfast."

"It's a bit… early," Remus commented.

"You think?" Sirius shrugged. "Well, I don't have anything better to do."

"OK. See you," Remus agreed, climbing out of his bed.

Sirius nodded and left.

He had just walked through the common room—which was empty—and had climbed out of the portrait hole when someone grabbed his wrist.

Sirius tensed and made to jerk away, but the person didn't let go.

Then a voice hissed, "Sirius, stop. It's me."

Sirius squinted. It was still a bit dark, and he couldn't really see the face of the person, but he recognized the voice.

"Andy?"

"Yeah." Andromeda Black stepped out of the shadows and pulled Sirius along with her.

"Why are you here? You're a Ravenclaw," Sirius said, frowning.

"Maybe, but Ted's a Gryffindor," Andromeda responded, shrugging.

Ted Tonks was Andromeda's boyfriend… a Muggleborn (_see chapter one, and the Harry Potter books too, for that matter. Um, hello, Nymphadora Tonks?_).

"But why are you here? It seemed as if you were specifically looking for me. And Ted's not around," Sirius shot back.

Andromeda didn't look the least bit disturbed. "I know that. I came to warn you." She stopped walking and turned to face Sirius.

Sirius stopped walking, too. "Warn me? Of what?"

Andromeda looked around carefully, as if expecting someone to be hiding in the shadows, listening to their conversation. There was a long silence before she finally spoke again.

"Bella wrote to Aunt Walburga."

Sirius winced. "Very likely I'll get a Howler then, huh?" he asked rhetorically. "But I was already expecting one. What did you really want to warn me about?"

Andromeda sighed. "Bella's furious. She'll probably try and… I don't know, hex you or something next time she sees you. So… just be careful."

Sirius absorbed this news—it was nothing shocking, but he was grateful for the warning. "I will. Thanks, Andy."

Andromeda smiled. "No problem. You might want to walk around Hogwarts with a friend…"

"Good idea. I'll keep that in mind." Sirius nodded, before remembering that he had just been about to leave for the Great Hall by himself. "Er… I think I'll wait a while before going to breakfast, OK?"

Andromeda shrugged. "Sure. See you later." She walked away.

Sirius nodded and headed back to the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

When Lily woke up, it was only a few minutes past seven. A little bit of light slanted into the first-year girls' dormitory, but it was still a bit dark… definitely not as bright as it would have been if it were day. 

Lily decided to take a shower and change clothes first. Almost thirty minutes later, fully dressed, she stood in front of Anna's bed and crossed her arms, wondering if she should wake one of her new friends up or what.

The question was answered for her when Anna's eyes suddenly snapped open. She caught sight of Lily and jumped in the air, letting out more than just a few expletives.

Lily raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Merlin! You scared me!" Anna gasped, still clutching her heart.

Lily simply rolled her eyes. "I'm going down to breakfast now. See you soon. Oh, and you need to work on your swearing problem."

"Hey!" Anna objected indignantly. "You've only known me for a day!"

"But I'm pretty sure that won't be your last time cursing," Lily smirked and left the room to the sound of Anna letting out another string of obscenities.

"I rest my case," she mumbled, more to herself than to anybody else.

When Lily got to the common room, she noticed that there was someone already up before her. It was one of the first-year boys… Sirius Black or something like that… and he was sitting in front of the fireplace, staring into the fire. The gold and red sparks danced and flickered, casting shadows over the walls. He looked up as she came near.

"Oh… hi," Lily greeted him, because she felt as if she should say something.

He smiled briefly. "Hi," he muttered, and turned his head to look back at the flames.

Lily nodded and left, when it was clear he wasn't going to say anything else. And she was wondering something…

_What the heck was that about?_

* * *

By the time James was had finally come down to eat breakfast, plenty of people had already woken up and left for the Great Hall. Sirius, James, and Peter, who tagged along, walked down to breakfast together. Luckily, there were no irate Slytherins (namely Sirius's cousin, Bellatrix) in their way. 

Sirius had just taken a swig of pumpkin juice when the mail arrived.

More than several students gasped as all the owls swooped in at once, dropping letters over plates and on students' heads.

Sirius winced very noticeably when a familiar-looking screech owl flew towards him and dropped a red envelope that was already beginning to smoke at the edges onto his plate.

James gaped at the red envelope before his face split into a broad grin. "Congratulations!" he cheered. "Your first day and you already got a Howler!"

Sirius smiled weakly… now everyone in the Great Hall would know just how wonderful his mother was. He made a decision in a split second and stood up, calling for attention.

"OK, my mum just sent me a Howler," Sirius began speaking over the noise. A few people—mostly just at the Gryffindor table—quieted down. "Probably to yell at me for being Sorted in Gryffindor. So if you don't want to go deaf, I suggest plugging your ears. That's all." Sirius sat back down again amidst all the murmurs and (a few) chuckles. Some people leaned forward in interest—especially the Muggleborns, who were clearly wondering what the heck a Howler was.

Sirius took a deep breath and ripped open the envelope dramatically.

Later, people would say it sounded like a bomb had went off in the hall. Other people argued that a banshee or a hag had come to attack. Either way, there wasn't a single person who didn't cringe as very loud shrieks—so loud it was almost impossible to discern the words from the ruckus—exploded from the envelope.

_"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" _The sound of Sirius's mother's voice screeched from the Howler. It was so loud, the plates and silverware (er… golden-ware… it was all golden, instead of the usual silver Sirius had heard about in tales of Hogwarts, for some reason _–three guesses why-_) rattled threateningly on the tables.

Many people who had been clearly eager to listen to a Howler/telling-off all winced and took Sirius's advice. Sirius himself couldn't blame them. He covered his ears, pressing down very hard, yet he could still hear the shouting as clear as day.

_"—A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY!!! YOUR FATHER AND I WERE WRITHING IN SHAME WHEN WE HEARD THE NEWS!!! HOW COULD YOU SPOIL THE FAMILY NAME OF BLACK BY BEING SORTED IN GRYFFINDOR, OF ALL PLACES?!?!?! THAT HOUSE IS CRAWLING WITH MUDBLOODS AND MUGGLE-LOVERS!!! DON'T COME BACK TO US WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU'VE MADE A MISTAKE!!! YOUR FATHER AND I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS, BUT YOU HAVE ALWAYS IGNORED OUR MORALS AND VALUES!!!"_

The shouting continued. Sirius finally managed to tune it out and, once his ears got used to the sound, began to eat again. Everyone else was still staring at the Howler in disbelief.

Finally, the round of chastisement ended. The Howler burst into flames, and pretty soon, all that was left of it was a small pile of gray ashes.

A ringing silence followed, broken almost inevitably by Sirius saying, "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it might've been. Could have been worse. Pass the marmalade, will you, James?"

* * *

After everyone's timetables had been passed out, Lily reached over and looked at Anna's (and Maggie's and Alice's). 

"We all have Transfiguration first," Alice remarked. "I heard Professor McGonagall is really strict."

"She definitely looks strict," Maggie commented, casting the formidable Head of Gryffindor House a nervous look.

"And I never asked. What is a Howler?" Lily added, as the girls got up and headed out of the Great Hall.

"Couldn't you tell?" Anna snorted with amusement.

* * *

Alice was not incorrect in saying that Professor McGonagall was strict. When the Gryffindor first-years arrived in the classroom, she immediately began to lecture them. 

Two minutes after the lesson had started, a small, mousy boy walked into the room.

"Mr. Pettigrew," McGonagall said, frowning. "You are late."

"I-I'm sorry," he squeaked. "I-I got lost."

McGonagall frowned again. "You may be new to the school, but that is still no excuse for tardiness. Two points from Gryffindor. Take a seat."

"You can sit with us," James offered, waving him over. Peter slid into the seat, looking grateful.

They began class by trying to turn a matchstick into a needle. James was the only one who succeeded.

By the end of the class, many people looked discouraged. McGonagall assigned them an essay on the properties of turning a matchstick into a needle. By the time people were leaving the classroom, plenty more than just one person looked frustrated.

"It's our first day!" James moaned to Sirius as they found a seat in the back of the Charms classroom. "And we already have homework!"

"Hey, quit whining," Sirius retorted. "You're the only one who managed to turn that matchstick completely into a needle."

While Professor McGonagall was stern and strict, Professor Flitwick was the exact opposite. He was a short, excitable man who squeaked when he talked, not unlike Peter.

Charms was a bit more enjoyable than Transfiguration, but not by much. One of the Gryffindor girls managed to get the charm they were trying out right on the first try, and Gryffindor was awarded five points.

After lunch was Potions with the Slytherins, a class Remus and Sirius were both especially not looking forward to. Remus because he was bad at Potions, and Sirius because he didn't like Potions, and he didn't like Slytherins. Period. End of discussion. Oh, and because he still remembered his conversation with Frank on his first day (er… night) here at Hogwarts.

"Let's see…" Slughorn mused. He was a jolly-looking man and had a loud, booming voice. Right now, he was looking over the attendance list.

"Sirius Black? A Black in Gryffindor?" he chuckled. "Well, that's unexpected…"

Sirius made no indication that he heard the man except for to roll his eyes.

Slughorn pondered over the attendance list in this vein for quite some time. Sirius had to fight the urge to roll his eyes again more than once, especially when Slughorn said things like, "Oh, Severus Snape. Isn't your mother Eileen Prince-Snape, the…?" Sirius didn't even bother to hear the rest, but he did hear Snape reply edgily in a very frosty tone of voice, "Yes, she is. Sir." Snape had tacked on the "sir" at the last possible moment.

Glancing over at James, Sirius could tell that James was fighting the urge to roll his eyes too.

James mimicked Slughorn. "Oh, is your daddy very famous and important and does he have connections that would be of a great help to a fat tub of lard like me?" James mocked in a whisper.

Sirius stifled a snort of laughter.

Slughorn popped a crystallized pineapple in his mouth and began the lesson.

Sirius sighed. He hated Potions.

* * *

_A/N: OK, I dunno, I just sort of wanted to stop there…_

_How was it? Good? Bad? Awful? Like it? Love it? Hate it so much you would be willing to pay for therapy to remove this story from your memory?_

_Please review!_

_Oh, and I have nothing against Slughorn, or fat people for that matter…Just to let you know…_

–_Clara_


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